TN elections: EC's flying squad seizes Rs 77 crore jewellery in Chennai crackdown
Ahead of April 23 polls, flying squads intensify checks across Tamil Nadu, intercepting 381 kg of gold and silver jewellery and enforcing model code of conduct
The Election Commission of India's (ECI) flying squad made a significant seizure in Chennai on the night of March 26, confiscating gold and silver jewellery worth Rs 77.29 crore during a vehicle check in Ashok Nagar, under the T Nagar Assembly constituency.
The squad intercepted approximately 381 kg of ornaments being transported in a vehicle and found that the driver could not produce valid documents.
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On questioning the driver, it was found that the vehicle that usually transported the ornaments could not make it as its tyre burst, and hence the jewellery was shifted to another vehicle and was being sent to the jewellers, the police official said.
That snap decision proved costly; without proper paperwork, the entire consignment was seized on the spot.
Checks intensify ahead of polls
The seizure is part of a broader, systematic enforcement drive that has been underway across Tamil Nadu since the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) came into effect on March 15, when the Election Commission announced poll dates for Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Kerala and Puducherry. Tamil Nadu is set to vote in a single phase on April 23, with vote counting scheduled for May 4.
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Ever since the MCC kicked in, flying squads and surveillance teams have stepped up checks at key transit points, monitoring the movement of cash, valuables and other materials that could potentially influence voters.